Lucky you! They tend to mate in February-March. Check out the website and type in newt in the go to bar and they have a lot of information on the great crested, common and palmate newts. Even better they have good photos and films, so you can really figure out what they have. The confusing thing about newts is that they change during mating season!

I know there are great crested newts about a mile away, so I keep hoping they might make their way up to my pond. But so far I have the common variety--which are lovely too! Think about planting some water star-wort for next season, as several sources have said they like that to lay their eggs.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: arkive

I have watched Newts mating in June so you may still have time. I'm not sure about interbreeding though, I haven't read up on it.
Water Starwort and Elodea Canadensis ( Canadian Pond Weed) are ideal for Newts eggs. Their leaves are flexible enough to cement together. The Thick type of elodea that is bought in Aquarist shops is too tough although I have had eggs on these too.
Dave

I found the first couple of tiny little baby newts in my pond today - very pale, translucent, minute (insert pun here). Like a comma with eyes!

Anyanks are you sure they are newts and not fish fry?

Made a mistake my great crested newt is afterall a male smooth newt, excitement now gone but at least I have male & female newts but no tadpoles yet!!

I don't have any fish in my pond, Sean - so yes, fairly sure they're newtlings.

Yesterday (20/5/09) an artificial pond outside a local government (Armagh) building was "alive" with newts.At one point I saw three swimming in line astern...presumeably a female being followed by two males if the newt (the "mankeeper"of my childhood days) is like many other creatures in its mating behaviour.

Yes, they should still be breeding.
Water forgetmenot is another good plant. Plant it so that there are leaves under water. Then you can very easily spot folded leaves. They will also use watercress (but this can soon take over your pond).

To find babies, dip a while plastic tub like a clean marg tub in amongst the weeds, then have a look. Nelwy hatched baby newts look like a double eyelash. If you look closely they have gills. In contrast, baby stickleback are silvery and have no gills.

I assume you know that newts lay their eggs singly folded into a leaf.

Blimey, Sean, where have you been? Nice to see you back!

What a great website, Chip, thanks for that.

Big Kid

Welcome back, ponddipperdave, you've been missed, too!

Does anyone know what an elongated, slightly milky coloured, lozenge-shaped egg of about three quarters of an inch might contain? I found it attached to my parrot's feather and I can see something developing inside. Could it be a newt? I was given a few last year and, yes, I realise now that I shouldn't have transferred them from another pond from a different area. I thought it was only frogs you shouldn't transfer, but I won't do it again, promise!
Big Kid

Yes it could easily be a developing newt egg. If you could take a photo on macro without unfoloding an egg, you could then blow it up to see the detail. Newts don't always fold the eggs into leaves if the leaves aren't sufficiently pliable.
I still have displaying / courting newts in my ponds and egg laying females. I just wish the waer in the most active pond was a bit clearer.

I still don't have a digital camera! Don't ask!

Aren't you lucky being able to see everything. I have so much greenery these days. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens to my 'egg.' Unfortunately I was really late doing the barley straw earlier this year and the blanket weed's been spreading because of the sun. I have to be really careful while I'm using my twizzle stick (actually a plastic rod from a blind, which is ideal) not to pull anything out. If ever I proved to myself that barley straw works, it was this year. My pond water is also really clear and I don't have a pump or a filter in sight! I put it down to the barley straw because I don't know what else it could be.